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COURSES<br />
The Fire may be Jumeirah’s second course,<br />
but there are rumours that it will host the<br />
DP World Championship in the future.<br />
community half-an-hour’s drive into the<br />
desert from downtown.<br />
That scenario may change, though,<br />
because while this is also by Norman,<br />
some changes are taking place with the<br />
talk in Dubai that eventually the DP<br />
World Championship will be held on it.<br />
Fairway bunkers are being added to<br />
further stiffen it up as it is also easier<br />
around the greens. It is no slouch though,<br />
and another very solid modern test even<br />
without the sparkle of the Earth and the<br />
charm of a Majlis.<br />
Jebel Ali<br />
Jebel Ali is just nine holes and a resort<br />
course... but it has hosted many of the<br />
world’s greatest golfers in pre-DDC<br />
charity matches. As official hotel of the<br />
DDC, Ernie, Tiger, Seve and Faldo have<br />
all played this pretty course, 20 minutes<br />
down the coastline from downtown.<br />
Designed by locally-based Peter<br />
Harradine, whose father and grandfather<br />
were also designers, he had a limited<br />
amount of land to work with for once so<br />
has smallish fairways and smallish greens,<br />
but is not punishing on yardage.<br />
Run by James Williams – who moved<br />
from Shropshire 27 years ago to help<br />
open the Emirates club (during which<br />
time he played in the DDC a few times) –<br />
it is characterised by shrubs, shallow<br />
bunkers and a lake that winds its way into<br />
five holes. One of those is the 4th, stroke<br />
one, where even Tiger dropped a shot<br />
when he played here. It is priced very fairly,<br />
is one of the few Dubai courses that<br />
allows walking, and its range is popular<br />
with Tour pros such as Robert Rock.<br />
Meydan<br />
Another nine-hole course, this time set<br />
among the race course. It’s floodlit, not<br />
expensive, and very close to downtown,<br />
so offers something different among the<br />
expensive premium courses. There are nice<br />
views of the race track and is immaculate.<br />
There is a bit of water and enough trees to<br />
provide definition without being penal...<br />
although the first is 690 yards – the<br />
longest hole in Dubai – with water on<br />
both sides and a raised and slender green.<br />
The next is 240 yards off the tips!<br />
airline around, will fly you there<br />
from Heathrow or Manchester,<br />
in little more than seven hours;<br />
given the weather that extra<br />
couple of hours from the Med<br />
destinations rewards you with, it<br />
seems a good return to us. Book<br />
ahead, and you can do it for a<br />
pleasingly inexpensive £300.<br />
While hiring a car is not utter<br />
madness (we survived to tell the<br />
tale), taxis aren’t extortionate so<br />
are on balance the best option.<br />
The climate<br />
Outstandingly good. It is never<br />
cold and it basically never rains.<br />
There is no scenario when you<br />
can have a golf break ruined by<br />
weather – unless you don’t heed<br />
our advice below and go in their<br />
blistering summer.<br />
When to go<br />
When our weather is at its<br />
worst, Dubai’s weather is at its<br />
best for golf holidays. After April<br />
it is searingly hot, but November<br />
to March – exactly when you’d<br />
love to escape the British winter<br />
– it will be warm and sunny, yet<br />
not unbearably hot.<br />
Travel planner<br />
We would recommend at least<br />
getting a quote from Golf Dubai<br />
Plus, due to their local expertise<br />
and also as they negotiate great<br />
rates on courses and hotels<br />
especially. golfdubaiplus.com<br />
May 20<strong>16</strong> Golf World<br />
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